Do your GOYers with large herbaceous borders feed the plants throughout the growing season? I have large borders and never seem to have the time to feed them. Also would blood fish and bone be ok to feed the roses?

Nope. I sprinkle fertilizer on the borders in spring but that's it. Roses I give blood, fish and bone at the beginning of their growth in spring and then like Dawnsaunt, rose feed after the first flush of blooms around about now. Mind you, I do give an ericacious feed to the Camellia and other acid loving plants every couple of months when I remember!

I apply Growmore, like Dawn, in spring as growth begins, at the same time as turning over the soil. Some years, like this one, if there's a possible problem with water supply, I mulch with something like soil conditioning compost. Not that there has been a problem with water supply, as it turns out, in fact, I'm surprised the mulch didn't float away ... That's it, nothing else after that - but I do use Toprose on the roses twice, once in April, and again 6 weeks later.